Should you visit Portofino or Florence?
Should I visit Portofino or Florence? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Portofino
Located on the Italian Riviera coastline just southeast of Genoa, Portofino is known first and foremost as a resort town and popular yachting destination. The half-moon village sits in pastels, curving into a beautiful harbor of fishing boats and luxury yachts. A castle on a hill overlooks it all, while shops, restaurants, cafes, and luxury hotels make up the spread down below. Portofino also has opportunities for hiking, diving, and boating.
Florence
Florence is the capital of Tuscany and one of the most well known cities in Italy for its art and cultural scenes. The city is rooted in history and you can see this in the architecture, statues, gardens, and art that are everywhere around town. This city truly is a living museum. You should allow yourself at least a couple of days to explore Florence and if you can afford more, it is well worth the time. In particular, if art history is your passion then you will need a week or more to satisfy your interest as the museums and architecturally impressive buildings throughout the city are endless.
Which city is cheaper, Florence or Portofino?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Portofino is €261, while the average daily cost in Florence is €120. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Portofino and Florence in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around €152. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Portofino the cost is €304 on average.
The prices for places to stay in Florence can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is €69, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around €138.
Food
In Portofino travelers spend around €94 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
In Florence travelers spend around €25 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Portofino €94
Florence €25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Portofino
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Portofino.
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Private cooking class at the old mill in Portofino:
$261
Typical Food prices in Florence
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Florence:
-
Panini Sandwich
€6.50
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Casual Lunch (for Two)
€17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Florence
For Florence, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Italian Fresh Pasta Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
-
Virtual Cooking Class: Bruschetta & Tiramisù:
$40
-
Illuminated Florence Tour for Kids with Gelato & Pizza:
$45
-
Street Food Tour:
$48
-
Vegetarian pasta cooking class and dinner in Florence:
$54
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Pizza & Gelato Preparation Class in Florence:
$60
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2-Hour Flavorful Food Tour:
$61
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Pizza and Gelato Making Class in Florence:
$62
-
Florence Private Food Tour:
$63
-
Pizza and Ice Cream Cooking Course in Florence:
$67
-
Cooking Lesson Traditional Italian Pasta:
$67
-
Chianti and Siena Day Tour with Tuscan Winery Dinner:
$72
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Portofino is €18 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Florence than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €18 on transportation in Florence on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Portofino
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Portofino:
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Private Transfer from Portofino to Rimini (RMI) Airport:
$1,512
-
Private Transfer from Portofino to Firenze (FLR) Airport:
$952
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Portofino - Genoa Airport (GOA) / Private Departure Car Transfer:
$100
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Portofino – Genoa / Private Car Transfer:
$100
-
Portofino - Genoa Airport (GOA) / Private Departure Car Transfer:
$56
-
Portofino – Genoa / Private Van Transfer:
$56
Typical Local Transportation prices in Florence
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Florence:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Florence
Also for Florence, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Florence Airport Transfer: Shared Round-Trip:
$11
-
Florence Hotel to Airport: Shared Departure Transfer (max 8 people):
$21
-
Shared Departure Transfer: Florence Hotels to Florence Airport:
$26
-
Bus Transfer from Florence to Rome Fiumicino Airport:
$30
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Peretola Airport (FLR) to Florence City Center:
$30
-
Private Departure Transfer from Florence City Center to Peretola Airport (FLR):
$30
-
Florence 2-Hour Walking Tour with Transfers from Lucca:
$30
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Private Departure Transfer: Florence Train Station:
$33
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Florence City to Amerigo Vespucci Airport:
$35
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Florence Peretola Airport FLR to Florence City:
$35
-
Private Departure Transfer from Florence City to Florence Peretola Airport FLR:
$35
-
Private Business Transfer from Peretola Airport (FLR) to Florence City Center:
$36
Is it cheaper to fly into Portofino or Florence?
Prices for flights to both Florence and Portofino change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Portofino's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €22 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Florence, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €24 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Portofino
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Portofino are as follows:
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1-Hour Snorkeling Tour in Paraggi Bay, Portofino:
$39
-
Easy Kayak Tour to Portofino:
$51
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Half-Day Private Hike Adventure to Portofino and San Fruttuoso:
$235
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Paddle Boarding Experience in Portofino:
$61
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Portofino Kayak Tour:
$60
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Portofino Private Walking Tour:
$230
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Portofino Stand Up Paddleboard Experience:
$51
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Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure Small Group Tour with Local Dirver:
$235
-
Portofino private boat tour:
$1,058
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Sea Kayak Tour with Sit-In Kayaks:
$86
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SUP Adventure in Portofino, Stand Up Paddling in the Park:
$86
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Snorkel Tour in Paraggi Bay:
$44
Typical Entertainment prices in Florence
For Florence, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Admission to Uffizi
€11
-
Phone Booking Fee for Uffizi
€4.00
-
Firenze Card (for Two)
€100
-
Audioguides at Uffizi (for Two)
€20
-
Giotto's Tower Entrance Fee
€6.00
-
Boboli Gardens Entrance Fee
€7.00
Tours and Activities in Florence
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Florence.
-
Florentine Animal Tales Tour:
$5.71
-
Da Vinci Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket Entrance:
$7.99
-
Leonardo Da Vinci Museum Entrance Ticket:
$8.71
-
- Leonardo Interactive Museum® Entrance Ticket:
$8.71
-
Entrance Ticket to the Basilica of San Lorenzo:
$9.70
-
Florence Highlights Virtual Guided Tour (Times in EST):
$11
-
Florence Duomo Reserved Time Entrance Tickets:
$14
-
Florence Private Walking Tour:
$16
-
Florence Self-Guided Walking Audiopen Tour:
$17
-
Florence Animal Art Treasure Hunt Family Tour:
$17
-
Santa Maria Novella Entry Ticket & Audioguide:
$18
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Welcome to 90-Minute Guided Walking Tour:
$18
Alcohol
The average person spends about €13 on alcoholic beverages in Portofino per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Florence, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €15.
Typical Alcohol prices in Florence
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Florence from other travelers:
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Glass of Chianti
€4.20
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Bottle of Wine
€7.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Florence
Also in Florence, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Florence Highlights, Local Food & Chianti Wine Tour:
$40
-
60-Minute Wine Tasting Tour:
$46
-
Barricaia Wine Tasting at the Antinori Winery:
$49
-
2-Hour Tuscan Wine Tasting Workshop:
$55
-
Sunset Sightseeing Tour and Wine Tasting:
$55
-
Wine Tasting of Tuscan Wine in Florence:
$57
-
2-Hour Walking Tour and Wine Tasting:
$58
-
Florence Sunset Wine Tour:
$64
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3-Hour Private Wine Tour:
$65
-
Chianti Wine Tour: Full-Day from Florence with Tastings:
$68
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Siena, San Gimignano and Wine Tasting in Chianti:
$72
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From Pisa: 5-Hour Chianti Afternoon Wine Tour w/ Shuttle:
$78
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Portofino and Florence, we can see that Portofino is more expensive. And not only is Florence much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Florence would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Florence and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Portofino would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Portofino than you might in Florence.
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